Dance with me, Reed
by precious.emerald
Summary: Shane and Reed come home from a dinner with Shane's parents, and Reed recalls Shane's birthday.


"Well, that was _interesting_, to say the least," Reed muttered as he turned the key in its lock. His and Shane's apartment had been empty for going on three hours as they had met Shane's parents around eight that evening. "Though I'm not sure it could have possibly been more awkward when your dad asked what my mother does. I'm sure he was thinking, "_Perfect, that's a great way to try and raise a_ boy." Wait, I'm sorry, Shane," Reed said, turning to his boyfriend before he fully opened the door, "I'm not trying to be rude, I should stop."

Shane shook his head. "You're right, Reed. Maybe I should have tried to put off the dinner a few more weeks. He was just so persistent, though."

Reed understood. Neither of the two really wanted to go out to dinner, not because of both Shane's parents – in fact, Reed thought Shane's mother was sweet, he just wasn't quite sure how to take his father.

Reed opened the door, allowing himself and Shane to walk inside. He expected a quiet, dark living room when they entered, but instead he heard the soft sound of music coming from the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Shane as they both placed their coats on a rack by the door.

"I'm guessing you left your phone again?" Reed couldn't help but smile as his boyfriend's shoulders slumped.

"I can never keep up with that thing. I love that you were sweet enough to buy me a new phone for my birthday," Shane started, giving Reed an apologetic expression, "but it's just so small – and you know I'm not the best person to be carrying tiny things around in my pockets, that's why you carry the key when we go out." Shane began shaking his head again as he then recognized the song. "Though I do have to say that I love the ringtones you put on there for me." Shane couldn't help but laugh as he heard "Suffocate" rush through the entire room.

Reed nodded rapidly, beginning to try and cover up the blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I thought there were a few you would like. I didn't think you would put this one on there for everything, though." Reed realized Shane's alarm was going off so his boyfriend would remember to turn off the coffee pot before he went to bed. He knew it was silly that he was getting embarrassed over a song, but he couldn't help it. "Suffocate", one of Reed's favorite songs he uses when he makes portraits of Shane – which is often, was the first song Reed had bought for his boyfriend's new phone.

* * *

><p>"Reed, are you in there?"<p>

Two hours before Reed had planned to give Shane one of two birthday presents, and he realized he had put nothing personal into the gift, just bought it with money that had no meaning whatsoever. He scrambled to hide the cord and new cell phone in the drawer closest to him as Shane opened the bathroom door.

"Are you alright? I couldn't find where you went to," Shane questioned, stepping over to his boyfriend and draping his arms around his thin waist. "I missed you." Shane laughed and buried his head into Reed's beautiful curls.

"Shane," Reed said, already smiling, "I was right here. Besides, it was only five minutes. Imagine if I was gone for a week."

Shane quickly shook his head, both their full heads of curls now looking even worse than nightmare bed-head because of the early morning start. "Actually, I'd rather not do that," he smiled, kissing Reed.

Reed pulled apart a few seconds later. "I would love to stay right here and continue, but I'm pretty sure someone deserves breakfast." He smiled at Shane and leaned onto his toes to kiss Shane quickly on the cheek before exiting the bathroom.

"Wait, where are you going now?"

Reed smiled and shook his head before closing the bathroom door on Shane.

Thirty minutes later, Reed had managed to make eggs and toast. He planned on making Shane bacon, too, but he quickly cancelled that plan as he realized he would need to be around hot grease. The last thing Reed wanted to do on the day of Shane's birthday was hurt himself and make Shane come to the rescue. _This is Shane's day,_ he thought, bringing the food over to the table.

"Shane, I made breakfast!" Reed smiled and sat down at the table as he heard Shane almost run into the wall trying to sprint into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Shane asked, coming closer to Reed with his chest heaving up and down. "You didn't get burnt on the pan? Please tell me you didn't get burnt by the oven like last time, that was terrible."

Reed blushed quietly and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I wanted to make you something nice. There would be bacon, but I discovered that wasn't the best idea."

Shane immediately looked relieved. "You're alright?" Reed nodded. "Thank God," he said, leaning down and kissing his boyfriend as he did just half an hour ago. Shane pulled out his seat in front of Reed and smiled. "So you fixed all of this for me, even though you're scared of the stove top?" Shane looked like he was going break his face because of the wide smile that was inching larger every second.

Reed nodded and smiled. "You deserve it, Shane. I thought tackling the stove eyes was just a _very _small price for you to finally have a nice morning in. You're always having to run to get to dance practice in the mornings and eating some dumb cafe muffin on the way there, so I figured this would be at least a small step up from that."

Shane sighed lovingly at his boyfriend. "It's a huge step, Reed. Thank you, really." Shane smiled and began to eat the wonderful breakfast Reed had cooked for him. He couldn't help but think how much Reed had been coming out of his comfort zone lately, not just with the kitchen, but with everything. He could tell Reed had been doing something different. Before he could stop himself, he was already pushing the issue. "Reed? Have you been feeling well lately?"

Reed turned his head toward Shane. _Oh no, he found out about his presents. Shoot, think quick, Reed!_ "I'm feeling fine. Why?" He realized his voice managed to move a bit higher than he intended. "Yes, I'm great."

Shane swallowed the bit of scrambled egg he had in his mouth and nodded, not wanting to press further. He didn't even mean to in the first place. Shane can't help but be worried, an attribute that Reed hates and loves at the same time.

Reed hurried and finished his breakfast before Shane, turning and putting his plate in the sink to be washed later. "I'll be right back," he said, looking at Shane, before rushing back to the bathroom.

"Have to hurry, _have to hurry_," Reed muttered to himself, opening the drawer in the bathroom. He turned and locked the door before going onto the ringtone store that was installed on Shane's present. Reed had wanted to give Shane his first present as soon as breakfast was over, but Shane had managed to push the time back on that one a few minutes.

Reed pressed the button to search and, just when he needed his memory, he blanked. He couldn't remember any of the songs he had originally wanted to put on the phone for Shane. He made a list, but he didn't dare venture out into the room where Shane could see him.

He closed his eyes and turned the phone over gently in his hands. _Wait, I do know one_. He stopped flipping over the phone, and began to search quickly for the song and installed it. He went for the full song rather than a thirty-second clip, knowing Shane wouldn't just want to hear the chorus over and over. A few seconds later, it was done downloading and Reed sighed. _One down, two to go_. Reed hurriedly thought of two more songs, and stepped out of the bathroom, the phone in his hands behind him.

As Reed entered the kitchen, he found Shane washing the dishes in the sink.

"Shane, I'll get the dishes. It's your birthday, you don't have to do them."

Shane smiled and turned around, placing his wet rag on the counter. "I just felt like it. Besides, you went all out and conquered the stove just for me. I would say that warrants a day away from the dishes. Though, we do need an actual dishwasher now that I think about it," he laughed.

Reed grinned and walked closer to Shane.

"Shane Anderson, happy birthday," he said, reaching up to kiss his boyfriend for a few seconds. Before he knew it, though, it had been a minute... then two, when finally Reed remembered the phone in his hands. "Wait, I have something for you! I almost forgot," he smiled. He brought the shiny new phone in front of him and held it up at Shane. "I know your phone is on the fritz," he started, getting interrupted by Shane shaking his head. "Shane, don't even try, you dialed me four times last week when your phone was off."

Shane sighed before smiling sadly at Reed. "I know. It's just.. this one has all those pictures of us. I can't get rid of those."

Reed had already figured this out. "Here, take it. Look at the pictures folder."

Shane's eyebrows furrowed as he took the phone and, trying to figure it out, eventually managed to find the pictures. He scrolled through, looking at each of the forty carefully. "Reed, these are... these are all of our pictures, not just the ones on my phone, but the ones from yours, too. When did you manage to get this done?"

Reed just shrugged, happy that Shane was smiling at his new phone. "I didn't actually go to get paintbrushes last week."

Shane moved his thumb over the screen of his new phone, now realizing why Reed had been acting a little more adventurous lately. "Thank you, Reed. This is so sweet of you," he said, leaning down to kiss Reed. "I love –."

"Wait, there's more," Reed smiled, taking the phone and searching into his new ringtones. "Here," he said, handing the phone back to Shane.

Immediately, Shane pressed preview on the menu and heard the first ringtone play.

_'Cause I can't breathe when you talk to me,_

_ I can't breathe when you're touching me,_

_ I suffocate when you're away from me, _

_ So much love you take from me,_

_ I'm going out of my mind..._

"Oh, Reed. Thank you so much," Shane said, grabbing his boyfriend and hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome. There's more, too, well... two more songs." Reed smiled, more than grateful that he had Shane there with him. He breathed onto Shane's neck, taking in the moment. Shane rarely had a day off in which he could stay home, so this was a dream come true for Reed.

"I love you, Reed," Shane sighed, looking Reed right in the eyes.

Reed smiled. "I love you, too, Shane." He reached up to kiss his boyfriend, allowing it to turn into more than a make-out session.

Then Reed gave Shane his second present.

* * *

><p>"Here, I'll go get it," Reed smiled, walking into the kitchen. He grabbed the phone, hitting the snooze button and turned off the coffee pot. He held Shane's phone in his hand for a second before sighing and walking back to his boyfriend.<p>

"I turned the coffee pot off while I was in there, Shane, so now you don't have to be reminded again." Reed laughed and sat Shane's phone down onto the coffee table in the living room. Its shiny surface reflected the light from the lamp on the table and crossed onto the ceiling. Reed looked at it for a moment before he noticed Shane had not said a word since he walked into the kitchen. He looked away from the glare on the phone and to Shane. "Shane, are you alright?"

"Reed, will you dance with me?"

Reed raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Shane smiled. "Dance with me, Reed. Please."

Reed felt his heartbeat quicken, just as it always did when Shane surprised him. "But... but you know I'm not a good dancer."

Shane shook his head. "Reed, it's not the quality that counts, it's who I'm with. I want to dance with you, I don't care if you knock over twenty lamps in the process. Lamps can be replaced, but dancing with you, _having this moment_, can't."

Reed couldn't say no. He picked up the phone and turned on his and Shane's favorite of his three ringtones. He sat it back down on the table as it played and looked at Shane.

He crossed more than enough space between the two, now so close that he could feel Shane breathing. "Alright." Reed smiled up at Shane before planting a kiss on his lips.

Shane then felt himself began to twirl Reed around the room, guiding him and feeling everything within the moment. He wouldn't have dared move his eyes from Reed's, even if he had wanted to.

"I love you, Reed," Shane whispered, bringing Reed closer to him than before. "I love you so much."

Reed felt his face getting hot, but he knew he wouldn't trade it for the world. "This is perfect, Shane. _You_ are perfect. I love you, Shane, more than anyone could ever know."

Shane grinned, cupping one side of Reed's face. "You know, this might just be my new favorite song." He kissed Reed as the song played on, feeling so happy that he had Reed in his life.


End file.
